There is a growing interest in chaplaincy as a research topic – the following are resources to support chaplains with research.
Useful articles
These articles would useful for chaplains who would like to conduct research themselves. For other articles, please click here.
George Fitchett (2011) Making Our Case(s), Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 17:1-2, 3-18
This article explains the importance of collecting a body of published chaplaincy case studies, and includes guidelines for writing case studies.
Patricia E. Murphy & George Fitchett (2009) Introducing Chaplains to Research: “This Could Help Me”, Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 16:3-4, 79-94
This article examines the barriers to doing research faced by chaplains, and the effectiveness of research workshops for chaplains.
Rebecca Ingham-Broomfield (2016) A nurses’ guide to the hierarchy of research designs and evidence, Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 33:3, 38-43.
This article provides a breakdown of the components of the hierarchy, or pyramid, of research designs. Its intention is to simplify the components of the hierarchy to enable novice readers of research to better understand the differing approaches and levels of evidence
Religious, Spirituality and Pastoral Care Audit Report
A report of an audit of religious, spiritual and pastoral care at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
The potential for efficacy of healthcare chaplaincy and spiritual care provision in the NHS (UK) – Mowat Research
An overview of the research into the effectiveness of healthcare chaplaincy and spiritual care in the UK.
Open access articles
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network: Literature Review – Testing the Efficacy of Chaplaincy Care
Subscription required
Examples of recording and evaluation forms
Multi-faith Room recording sheet
An example of a sheet to record how a hospital’s multi-faith room is used.
Religious Service Evaluation Form
An example of an evaluation form used to get feedback on religious services.
Useful resources for conducting research
The HRA Website
The HRA (Health Research Authority) contains information on the application and approvals process for a research project, including deciding whether your study counts as research, completing the IRAS application form and training days.
Examples of Patient Information Sheets and Consent Forms
Examples of patient information sheets and consent forms for research projects, including information aimed at children and young people.
Literature Review Quick Guide
A brief overview of how to conduct a search of healthcare databases.
The Handbook of Quality and Service Improvement Tools
This handbook is produced by the NHS to support staff who would like to assess and approve the service that they provide. It brings together into a single resource 75 proven tools, theories and techniques for quality and service improvement.
Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Training
Training provided by the NIHR (National Institute for Healthcare Research), both face-to-face and eLearning. GCP is the international ethical, scientific and practical standard to which all clinical research is conducted.
List of Unit Costs of Health and Social Care
This list, compiled by the PSSRU, gives the costs of various types of care and staff costs. If you think that your project or intervention will save staff time or reduce time in hospital this guide can help you estimate how much this will save the NHS.
